The germination niche of coastal dune species as related to their occurrence along a sea–inland gradient

Aims: The early phases in the life cycle of a plant are the bottleneck for successful species establishment thereby affecting population dynamics and distribution. In coastal environments, the spatial pattern of plant communities (i.e. vegetation zonation) follows the ecological gradient of abiotic stress changing with the distance from the sea. This pattern has been mainly explained based on the adaptation and tolerance to the abiotic stress of adult plants. However, the adult niche may considerably differ from the germination niche of a plant species. The aim of this work was to investigate to what extent abiotic factors (specifically salinity, temperature, nitrogen and their interactions) constrain seed germination along the sea–inland gradient. Location: Latium coast (Central Italy). Methods: Germination tests were performed on seeds of focal species of three different plant communities which establish at increasing distances from the coastline: Cakile maritima subsp. maritima, Elymus farctus, Crucianella maritima. We tested increasing concentrations of NaCl (one of the main abiotic factors which decrease across the sea–inland gradient), and their interactions with temperature and KNO3, to consider other factors which drive germination processes. Results: The tolerance to salinity significantly decreased in relation to the position of species along the coastal zonation. Crucianella maritima was shown to be the least tolerant species, having a decrease in germination >80% across all conditions. KNO3 significantly (although slightly) increased the germination percentage in Cakile maritima subsp. maritima and Elymus farctus. When combined with NaCl, KNO3 alleviated the negative effects of salinity only in Cakile maritima subsp. maritima. Conclusions: The germination responses to the interaction among the tested factors suggest that the germination niche may explain vegetation zonation filtering species at their early stages. Quantifying environmental niches in different phases of the life cycle of plants may provide important insights into community assembly processes

A Metal-Organic Framework Incorporating Eight Different Size Rare-Earth Metal Elements: Toward Multifunctionality À La Carte

Multi‐metallic multivariate (MTV) rare earth (RE) metal−organic frameworks (MOFs) are of interest for the development of multifunctional materials, however examples with more than three RE cations are rare and obstructed by compositional segregation during synthesis. Herein, this work demonstrates the synthesis of a multi‐metallic MTV RE MOF incorporating two, four, six, or eight different RE ions with different sizes and in nearly equimolar amounts and no compositional segregation. The MOFs are formed by a combination of RE cations (La, Ce, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Y, and Yb) and a 1,7‐di(4‐carboxyphenyl)‐1,7‐dicarba‐closo‐dodecaborane (mCB‐L) linker. The steric bulkiness and acidity of mCB‐L is crucial for the incorporation of different size RE ions into the MOF structure. Demonstration of the incorporation of all RE cations is performed via compositional and structural characterization. The more complex MTV MOF, including all eight RE ions (mCB‐8RE), are also characterized using optical, thermal, and magnetic techniques. Element‐selective X‐ray absorption spectroscopy and X‐ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism measurements allow us to characterize spectroscopically each of the eight RE ions and determine their magnetic moments. This work paves the way for the investigation of MTV MOFs with the possibility to combine RE ions à la carte for diverse applications

One fungus, which genes?: development and assessment of universal primers for potential secondary fungal DNA barcodes

The aim of this study was to assess potential candidate gene regions and corresponding universal primer pairs as secondary DNA barcodes for the fungal kingdom, additional to ITS rDNA as primary barcode. Amplification efficiencies of 14 (partially) universal primer pairs targeting eight genetic markers were tested across > 1 500 species (1 931 strains or specimens) and the outcomes of almost twenty thousand (19 577) polymerase chain reactions were evaluated. We tested several well-known primer pairs that amplify: i) sections of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene large subunit (D1-D2 domains of 26/28S); ii) the complete internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1/2); iii) partial beta-tubulin II (TUB2); iv) gamma-actin (ACT); v) translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1 alpha); and vi) the second largest subunit of RNA-polymerase II (partial RPB2, section 5-6). Their PCR efficiencies were compared with novel candidate primers corresponding to: i) the fungal-specific translation elongation factor 3 (TEF3); ii) a small ribosomal protein necessary for t-RNA docking; iii) the 60S L10 (L1) RP; iv) DNA topoisomerase I (TOPI); v) phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK); vi) hypothetical protein LNS2; and vii) alternative sections of TEF1 alpha. Results showed that several gene sections are accessible to universal primers (or primers universal for phyla) yielding a single PCR-product. Barcode gap and multi-dimensional scaling analyses revealed that some of the tested candidate markers have universal properties providing adequate infra- and inter-specific variation that make them attractive barcodes for species identification. Among these gene sections, a novel high fidelity primer pair for TEF1 alpha, already widely used as a phylogenetic marker in mycology, has potential as a supplementary DNA barcode with superior resolution to ITS. Both TOPI and PGK show promise for the Ascomycota, while TOPI and LNS2 are attractive for the Pucciniomycotina, for which universal primers for ribosomal subunits often fail

Advanced numerical insights for an effective seismic assessment of historical masonry aggregates

The structural assessment of ancient masonry structures is still a challenging task. The main reasons have been related to the shortage of information in the materials’ characterization along with the complex geometry and different evolutions of its constituents’ parts through the time. Scientific studies on the evaluation of the structural capacity and design of these masonry buildings have reported several modelling techniques. The goal of this work is to investigate the effectiveness of different numerical approaches in the simulation of the cyclic behaviour of historic masonry buildings under seismic loads. In addition, the damage level of the structural interconnections will be evaluated and what extent they affect the global instability. The specific case study seeks to examine an ancient palace with its civic tower hit by the 2016 Central Italy earthquake. A couple of masonry modelling are used: the first one is discontinuous (DM) and the second one is continuous (CM). Two models were set: one model replicated the structure as a whole, the other one considered only the tower. The DMs were studied with 3DEC© and LMGC90© software, where, in turn, different contact conditions were implemented. In parallel, the CMs were analysed with the Midas FEA NX©. The present research offers significant outcomes obtained from the non-linear dynamic analyses performed using the proper sequence recorded in that seismic event. Likewise, this document underlines the importance of the correct modelling techniques definition, based on the state of the case study, especially when an isolated tower is considered

Effect of trub and/or linseed dietary supplementation on in vivo oxidative status and some quality traits of rabbit meat

The objective of this study was to compare the effect of the dietary beer trub, alone or in combination with linseed, on meat quality, oxidative status and cholesterol content of rabbit. Eighty New Zealand White rabbits were divided at weaning (30 d) into four dietary groups: control (C) fed a standard diet, trub (T, 2% of lyophilized trub), linseed (L, 3% of extruded linseed), and trub-linseed in combination (TL, 2% of lyophilized trub and 3% of extruded linseed). At slaughtering (80 d) the oxidative parameters of blood and quality of Longissimus thoracis et lumborum were analysed. The in vivo lipid oxidation was similar in the supplemental groups, whereas it was higher in T, L and TL meat compared to C. Trub supplementation in rabbit diets slightly affected the fatty acid profile (MUFA) and worsened the oxidative status of meat, and its inclusion in combination with linseed did not counteract the oxidative instability induced by the higher PUFA content

SETTE NOTE PER CREMONACremona City Hub. Riqualificazione urbanistica dell'ambito di trasformazione delle aree ex-Annonaria, concorso internazionale di idee in una fase con preselezione bandito dal Comune di Cremona.(primo classificato).

La proposta progettuale di riqualificazione urbanistica dell’area ex Annonaria “7 note per Cremona”, persegue l’idea di una città compatta, fondata sulla durevolezza degli interventi, densa di significati: passati, presenti, futuri, in grado di rafforzare il continuum spazio-temporale con il centro storico di Cremona costituendo, di fatto, un proseguimento naturale della città fondata, delle sue geometrie e delle sue logiche endogene. Ciò si concretizza in una strategia per la valorizzazione delle risorse tra storia e città contemporanea così articolata: riconoscibilità del tessuto urbano esistente; armonia ed equilibrio dei rapporti spaziali, dimensionali e volumetrici; densità abitativa correlata ad un corretto dimensionamento degli spazi aperti; accessibilità ai trasporti pubblici e riduzione degli spostamenti veicolari con conseguente riduzione dell’inquinamento; incentivazione di una mobilità dolce; presenza di spazi pubblici integrati e attrezzati i quali, mediante arredo urbano e specie arboree, siano in grado di valorizzare il paesaggio anche da un punto di vista sensoriale; corretta e mirata distribuzione dei servizi all’interno del comparto urbano; sviluppo di una comunità autocentrata fondata sull’equità, sull’attenzione alla persona, al suo valore e alle sue esigenze